Great discoveries have often followed the observation of some simple thing: as witness the discovery of penicillin. One would think that the medical profession would be anxious to seize on anything by which they could control the circulation. However, notwithstanding countless proofs of its power for good, the profession has on the whole obstinately set its face against hypnotism. Future generations will no doubt marvel that learned men could be so stupid as to neglect the vast possibilities of such a potent method of healing.
In addition to its usefulness in the complaints described, hypnotism can make the mind easier and relieve pain in many cases of incurable disease and prolonged and painful illness.

Consider the case of this man who suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis. This young man, aged thirtyfour, had suffered from this disease since the age of seventeen, and had spent most of his time confined to bed. There were severe flexion deformities in both legs, hips and knees. When first seen the knees were locked together and no movement was possible.
The patient’s general condition prevented any drastic manipulative or operative measures, as the blood sedimentation rate was raised and he had frequent ‘flare ups’ of his condition. The patient was in a very depressed frame of mind at the apparent hopelessness of his condition. 
At first he was sceptical of hypnosis but agreed to try it, feeling that it could do no harm even if it did no good.

He proved to be a fairly good subject and hypnosis was induced in spite of unsuitable surroundings. Suggestions were given for relaxation and improvement in general health. Under hypnosis it was found possible to produce a small range of movement at the hip and knees. Treatment was continued at weekly intervals; and as improvement became apparent, the patient became most enthusiastic. His general health improved out of all bounds, and movement of the legs increased sufficiently to enable him to drive an invalid car. General suggestions as to improved health and a feeling of well-being have changed his outlook completely, and the patient has taken a new interest in life.

Again, no claim is made that hypnotism will ‘cure’ this condition; but in conjunction with other measures, it has undoubtedly been able to make the patient much happier.
Recently, there has been much excitement over the discovery of a wonderful new ‘cure’ for rheumatoid arthritis in America. This substance is extracted at great expense and trouble from the adrenal glands of hogs, and at present costs about £4000 for a sufficient quantity for a few weeks’ treatment.
The human being also has these adrenal glands; and, as we have seen, they are under the control of the autonomic nervous system. By hypnotism we can control this system; so that it is not too far fetched to imagine we might eventually be able to cure rheumatoid arthritis by stimulating the patient’s own glands hypnotically.
However this may be, there is no doubt that hypnotism can be of great value in assisting orthodox medical treatment in management of prolonged, painful, and even incurable illnesses.

Consider the depressing effect on the mind when a patient is told that he has some serious condition such as tuberculosis. This is bad enough in itself; but when he realizes that his only hope of cure is prolonged rest in bed - perhaps a plaster bed if it happens to be tuberculosis of the spine, for instance - most patients have a feeling of despair. Day after day, week after week, month after month, the patient is forced to lie there for perhaps a year or two, with little to occupy his mind. Is it any wonder that many fail to survive this ordeal?

It is no exaggeration to say that probably more patients die from the depressing effect on the mind than the actual disease. The power of the mind is well known; and the ‘will to live’ is perhaps the most important factor in the struggle against serious illness.

In the old days before the discovery of M & B, pneumonia was known as the ‘Captain of the men of death’. Fully 25 per cent, of patients died from this dread complaint. The patient suffered for seven days until the crisis occurred, when he either lived - or died! It was well known that those who died were usually big strong men who had never been ill in their lives before, whereas those who survived were more often than not miserable specimens accustomed to a good deal of sickness and suffering.
The former patients, unaccustomed to suffering, were terrified and gave way easily. To the latter, it was just another illness which they would overcome as they had overcome previous ones. This attitude of mind saved them.
The opposite is seen in the case of the Australian aborigine who will sicken and die despite all efforts to save him if he believes that the witch doctor or medicine man has cast a spell upon him by ‘pointing a kangaroo bone’!

Hypnotism, by inducing calm, philosophical and optimistic outlook, can greatly reinforce the patient’s natural resistance besides, of course, in suitable cases, reducing or abolishing pain and so making his ordeal more bearable.
Medical science does everything in its power for the welfare and comfort of the patient and pays great attention to details of diet, drugs, sleep and rest in order to give the sufferer every possible chance to overcome his complaint.

It is very strange that such a simple method as hypnotic suggestion has been neglected. Even in many cases of incurable disease, it would be possible to help the patient by hypnotism. Often pain could be relieved, and in practically every case calmness with peace of mind could be induced. In this way a patient would be able to approach his end with philosophical calm and a clear mind instead of being drugged into insensibility.

Apart from its wide range of usefulness in the conditions we have already considered, there is another group of cases where hypnotism can be very useful. Although it has long been known that the mind could affect the skin and cause it to blush with shame or embarrassment, while it blanched with fear, it is only recently that its importance in the causation of skin disease has been realized.

In the British Medical Journal recently, there was an excellent article showing the importance of the mind on the skin. In it the specialist gives a long list of skin diseases in which the influence of the mind plays a big part. The list includes such well-known skin diseases as Acarophobia (delusions of insects), Dermatitis Factitia (self-inflicted skin lesions), Neurotic Excoriations (due to excessive scratching) and Trichotillomania (habit of pulling out hair).
Another group includes Neurodermatitis (an itching skin disease which develops as the result of scratching some trivial skin lesion such as a pimple), Pruritus (itching), Eczema and Rosacea Urticaria (itchy weals), Hyperidrosis (excessive sweating), Seborrhoeic dermatitis (dandruff), Psoriasis and Alopecia Areata (patchy baldness). These are further examples of common skin diseases influenced by the mind.

Excellent advice is given on the treatment of these conditions; and a kind, sympathetic approach to the patient’s problems which are upsetting his mind, together with the appropriate medical treatment, is advised.
The specialist states that cases are greatly assisted by the Almoner, who helps to solve the patient’s problems by ‘arranging holidays for the overworked housewife and legal advice for those who need a divorce’!
It is stated that the almoner’s service has produced more permanent cures than all the ointments and magic rays.

Now all this, no doubt, is very excellent, although there are those who would consider a divorce rather drastic treatment for an itchy skin. Unfortunately, there is no mention of hypnotism, which is the method par excellence of controlling the mind and, indirectly, through the mind, the skin.
Those who doubt this should consider the case of a woman in which it was possible to effect a cure without prescribing either a holiday or a divorce! The patient suffered from Neurodermatitis of the face as the result of her nerves being upset in the war. On one occasion she had a few spots on her face and began to scratch them. Thereafter she was unable to stop scratching at her face, particularly when nervous. After a few sessions of hypnosis, she reported the irritation cured. The patient had to keep on working all the time under particularly trying circumstances.

Holidays and divorces may, no doubt, effect a cure in some cases; but hypnotism would seem to be a far simpler and more practical solution to such problems.
Another case in which hypnotism was able to help was that of a young man who suffered from Pruritus, an intolerable itching of the scalp. One day during the war he had picked up somebody else’s cap by mistake. After wearing it for some time, he had discovered his error and noticed that it was rather dirty. His scalp immediately began to itch and had continued to do so ever since. All sorts of treatment had failed to produce any relief, and the patient was in despair. He could not bear to put a hat on his head.

As he came from a long distance, only one session of hypnosis was possible. The itching ceased immediately; and several months later the patient wrote to say that he was still well, but would like another treatment to make doubly sure. Those who doubt the influence of the mind on the skin have only to sit quietly and ponder for a while, and think of insects crawling on their body, when all doubts will be effectively removed as they begin to scratch!

A soldier who came for treatment explained that his trouble started in an Army camp after seeing an educational film dealing with certain little insects. He began to itch and had scratched himself ever since! He remarked that practically everybody in the camp had been scratching themselves after seeing the film.

Perhaps one of the most spectacular and effective ways in which hypnotism can be used in medicine is in the development of Anaesthesia or the abolition of pain. Anaesthesia really means loss of the sense of touch, and Analgesia is the proper term for the loss of the sense of pain. However, anaesthesia is the commoner term and is understood to include the abolition of pain.
With the development of modern anaesthetics, there has been little opportunity or need for hypnotism. Modern anaesthetics are so quick and certain in their action that it has not been considered worth while to experiment with hypnotism for modern surgical purposes. Unfortunately, not everybody can be hypnotized sufficiently to develop anaesthesia for operative purposes. However, in good subjects and those who can have repeated training, it is often possible to develop a considerable degree of anaesthesia. When properly developed, the anaesthesia is probably the safest and best that could be possibly obtained.

Before the development of anaesthetics, there were records of many cases of even major surgery performed quite painlessly under the influence of hypnotism or its forerunner, mesmerism. Even today, we occasionally hear of it under exceptional circumstances. During the war, Australian surgeons carried out many painless operations by means of hypnotism, among the men in Japanese prison camps where no ordinary anaesthetics were available.

The author has often used hypnotism to induce anaesthesia for operative purposes under exceptional conditions. On one occasion in the tropics during the war, it was necessary to carry out an emergency operation on a badly injured native without the benefit of modern anaesthetics. The patient was easily hypnotized, as most natives are, and a quite extensive repair operation carried out without the slightest pain.
On many occasions while serving in the Navy, minor operations such as lancing septic fingers and removing nails have been performed quite painlessly under the influence of hypnotism. Quite often ratings who were good hypnotic subjects were able to astonish the dental surgeon, by showing no signs of pain while undergoing extensive fillings or extractions. Hypnotism can be quite useful as an anaesthetic for dentistry but, as with surgery, only a small proportion of people can develop sufficient anaesthesia for extensive work. Its use as an anaesthetic in surgery and
dentistry is therefore strictly limited. 
Nevertheless, it can be useful in removing the fear of an operation or even a general anaesthetic, which most people secretly dread.

Hypnotism can be very valuable in abolishing the pain of childbirth. It is advisable for the patient to be trained in hypnosis for several sessions before the birth of the child. If properly trained, there is no need for the hypnotist to be present, as the patient can hypnotize herself.
Alternatively, she can be given a post-hypnotic suggestion to enter the trance whenever the doctor in charge of the case tells her that the proper time has arrived to do so.
When successful, hypnotism is the best of all anaesthetics for childbirth, as there is no shock and the patient can co-operate without fear. Indeed, it has been stated to be the only completely safe anaesthetic for childbirth.
Recently, there has been considerable agitation in Parliament and the Press concerning analgesia for childbirth. A Bill has been brought forward and defeated, and numerous heated arguments both for and against analgesia in childbirth given considerable publicity. All sorts of schemes have been suggested, including supplying midwives with motorcars so that they can transport heavy gas and oxygen machines and other paraphernalia. Nobody, however, has considered hypnotism.

Dr. Grantly Dick Read has shown that spectacular results in achieving painless childbirth are possible by teaching the patients to relax, and removing fear by intelligent explanation. If antenatal clinics included training in hypnosis for expectant mothers, pain in childbirth for the great majority of cases would become a thing of the past. 
If complete anaesthesia is required and possibly amnesia for the events, then a deep trance will be required as for surgery, and this will naturally limit the usefulness of the method.
However, considerable relief from pain, fear and anxiety can be obtained with only a light trance which most people can reach with a few repeated sessions. If Dr. Dick Read can obtain painless childbirth with simple explanation and suggestion, it is obvious that the results would be better in even the lightest hypnotic stage, owing to the increased suggestibility in this state.

One amusing incident shows the influence of suggestion. A very anxious husband telephoned one night to say that his wife wanted to have hypnosis to prevent pain in childbirth. Enquiry revealed that the baby was due at any time and that the patient was unable to travel. It was explained to the husband that in these conditions, proper hypnosis was impossible; but a few encouraging suggestions were given over the telephone to the husband, who relayed them to his wife. A couple of weeks later he wrote to say that he had become a proud father and that his wife had had a very easy childbirth with practically no pain!
Surely it is time that obstetricians and gynaecologists made more use of scientifically applied suggestion. At present all suggestion is unfortunately directed towards leading women to expect pain in childbirth. Well-meaning articles in the Press, and opinions of experts, by insisting on the provision of anaesthetics, confirm the generally held opinion that pain in childbirth is inevitable, and so defeat their own purpose.
Those who have experienced hypnotic anaesthesia for child-birth are unanimous in their approval of the method; and it is to be hoped that in future, as a more enlightened view is taken of hypnosis, greater use will be made of this valuable method.

PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH UNDER HYPNOSIS

The following case is a typical example of what can be achieved by this method.
A young mother stated that she had had a very bad time with her first baby, and looked forward with real dread to her second, which was due in a few months’ time. She was therefore trained to put herself into a deeply relaxed state, and give herself suggestions of having an easy painless childbirth. As it was impossible for the hypnotist to be present at the birth, it was arranged for her to obey the suggestions of the nurse or doctor attending her. Later she reported having had a very easy birth without any pain, and the nurse was so impressed that she came for treatment herself! The patient stated that, apart from the actual painless childbirth, she thought that one of the main benefits of the treatment was that it removed all the fear and anxiety she had had in the months preceding the birth.